It matters that people have a way to use the latest findings in psychology beyond buying a pill for depression. It matters that people have a way of looking at their lives that lets them ask the big questions and determine how they want to live – and that this is supported by therapists and mental health professionals.

Media

The Existentialism of Rollo May - An Influence on Trauma Treatment

This article reviews the life and work of Rollo May and his influence on the author’s development of applying existential therapy to treating traumatic stress. An examination of May’s worldview, theory, and therapeutic philosophy is presented. Considerable importance is placed on May’s theoretical foundations as they apply to treating combat veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The data presented in this article reveal the significance of utilizing existential therapeutic principles within a group format to help facilitate combat veterans’ recovery from the internal damage inflicted by PTSD.

Mortality

Death is the great certainty of life -- and a subject we almost never talk about. How we live in its shadow, and the choices we make about the best way to live a life where time is the only non-renewable resource, is a key element of existential thought.